Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Today is a big day for Cricket -September 18, 2012
at 1930 local (1400 GMT) – the host Lankans take on Zimbabwe. There is no big bash planned for the opening
of World Twenty20 in Hambantota, no music concert, no fireworks and no trapeze
artists. Only a cricket match and both Sri Lanka and
Zimbabwe are likely to be grateful that they, not a sideshow, will take center
stage. It is going to set in motion the
T20 World Cup 2012 – commencing today and culminating on 7th Oct 2012.

It is the most talked about
and touted about to be the most fascinating version of the game, though not for
the connoisseurs. There are going to be 27 matches, most of which could drag
for a nail-baiting finish down the wire.
There are 4 groups and of the three, two of the teams are going to travel
to the next round of Super 8. So all that India requires is a win over
Afghanistan to qualify to the next level.

Captains of participating teams [courtesy www.cricinfo.com] - how many can you recognise ?

In a shorter version of the
game, an early slip up could end a tem’s fortune even as it begins. That way
the inaugural match itself can be threatening and more lively. It should be
more scarier for Sri Lanka than it is for Zimbabwe. Sri Lanka are expected not
to slip up, especially because the tournament is taking place at home and their
reputation as runners-up was given a fresh unveiling at least year's fifty-over
World Cup. For Zimbabwe's coach, Alan Butcher, and his charges, this tournament
is nothing more than an opportunity. It is a chance to show that they are still
active on the world stage, even though they have not been on it for almost
eight months. It is a chance to show that they are still producing talented
players and have the capacity to nurture that talent. And maybe, just maybe, it
is a chance to achieve something that no-one would think them capable of.

The shortest version of the
game is all about its unpredictability – since the inaugural version in 2007,
there has been no pattern of dominance emerging. India, who won the first
tournament, failed to reach the semi-final stage of the subsequent two
tournaments while Australia, the top team in Tests and ODIs for much of the
2000s, have struggled to conquer the T20 format. Ironically, Pakistan,
notorious for their inconsistency, have been the best side in the tournament's
brief history, making two finals (winning in 2009) and the semi-final in
2010. Perhaps WI should fancy their
chances not only because of the
abundance of individual talent with Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard being the
most explosive and most fearsome in this version, they have the advantage of
many of their players being around in these conditions.

The inaugural 2007 ICC
World T20 was staged in South Africa in Sept 2007; second at England in June
2009; the third at West Indies in May 2010 and the 4th now at Sri Lanka. There is no official format as a World Cup in
Test Cricket and the ODI World Cup is much more organized as it is conducted
once in four years – the pattern is missing in T 20. In its defence it must be
said that it has attracted or rather provided opportunities to more countries
and thus you have : Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Canada,
England, India, Ireland, Kenya, Nederlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland,
South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, and Zimbabwe having featured in T20
Internationals and players from these countries happily boasting of having
played in an International match, which has never occurred in Test Cricket.

Those who have watched Test
cricket over the years, may keep harping that pyjama cricket is a poor
substitute for the intricacies of Test cricket – but this has come to stay and
certainly has attracted more people in to watching that ever before. With its scope for unlimited uncertainties,
it will be hard to predict with any confidence as to who will win – still we
fancy our chances of winning the Cup another time. T20 itself has a little history with the
first ever T20 International being played between New Zealand and Australia at
Eden Park, Auckland on 17th Feb 2005. Oh
not so long !. India has not played much
[forget IPL here] the first T20 featuring India was the match against South Africa
at New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg on 1st Dec 2006 and India won by 6
wickets with 1 ball remaining

In a 120 ball contest [not
to speak of no balls and wides] – Lankans have made the most – a run rate of 13
per over having made 260/6 against Kenya ; followed by SA’s 241/6 against
England; Australia 221/ against England; SA 219/4 against India and India’s
218/4 against England at Durban are the top 5. Now there is lot exciting
to look forward to as the crowds response will further decide the primacy of
this format over other versions of the game.This is a different game than the IPL as there is the honour of playing
for the country and not for a club – the compositions of the teams could be far
different than the ones witnessed at IPL club teams.

Srilanka is trying to
different by taking cricket to far off places like Hambantota, an imaginary
port city of the future. They have
incurred huge debts in providing infrastructure at these places and whether
their strategy pays off remains to be seen, which will do the game of Cricket a
lot good.

There is one team of capable
of delivering but always dogged by internal power struggle, Pakistan had an
announcement by their chairman, Zaka Ashraf, that their director-general
(cricket), Javed Miandad, has been sent to Sri Lanka "to look into some
team issues" does not inspire confidence that the coach and his new
captain, Mohammad Hafeez.

There has been talk that
pitches in Lanka have changed in recent years, but most teams would still try
to dish our continental flavor with spinners and part time trundlers trying to
squeeze middle overs. This is taking
place at a time, when there is not a single team [read Australia] dominating
and stage thrown open with unlimited possibilities and every team fancying
their chances for a place in last 4.
There are some exciting individuals who could turn heroes after the
tournament